A board game of the two
by Sandalsintherain
Summary: She was cold and her throat was dry... She didn't dare open her eyes in fear of what she would see. She could feel the pain at the nape of her neck and the caked blood that stuck to her wrists, making her extremely uncomfortable.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**The Present**

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

The constant dripping of water woke her. She could feel the pain spreading itself from the nape of her neck to the rest of her body. It defied gravity and travelled upwards giving her a thumping headache. She could feel the cold floor on the soles of her bare feet. It was cold... and it was wet. Her hands, tied with an uneven rope, grazed her wrists and made them bleed. She wondered if the sound of dripping was from the water leaking from an old pipe, or if it was the sound of her blood falling into a pool of shallow water.

Her eyes were shut and she made no attempt to open them. She feared what she would see; what new pain she would be inflicted with. Her mind fought hard to remember the events that lead to the current situation. But every small fragment of memory she grasped, evaporated into thin, white air. Her heart, she noticed, beat at a regular rhythm. It was neither fast, nor slow. Her breathing, she noticed, was relaxed and even. Yet her body felt the searing pain at the nape of her neck. She tried to move her numb feet only to realise that they were bound by the same rope that held her hands in place. The ropes cut into her ankles making them pale with loss of blood. The dried blood stuck to her skin as though they had hooks and suckers. She could smell her sweat and blood in the air as she breathed. Not only that... along with sweat and blood, there was something else. Something that screamed at her to wake her senses, to move; to do anything_ but_ remain stationary.

Her body challenged her thoughts and did otherwise. The strength in her was draining faster than water pouring out of a broken bucket. It was leaving her and dissolving in a dark abyss at the base of her feet.

Her throat was parched and dry. Her body shivered as she became responsive to the cold temperatures. She barely managed to croak "water", when she heard a thud and several foot steps bringing something -no, someone- closer to her. It was several long and agonising minutes before ice cold water splashed on her face; some only just making it into her open mouth. She swallowed. It was more her dried spit than water, she realised. On impulse, without consultation, she groaned. The pain was far too much for her to bear. It tore at her skin and made her bleed. It made her lose conscience and forget. And worst of all, it made her groan; something she wasn't accustomed to.

The footsteps were now taking the person away from her. Her mind raced to think of something to say; someway that she could find out what had happened. But, alas, she drifted into a painful sleep; a sleep that took her to lands unknown. She saw plants she knew not the name of... There were plants in the shape of stairs, plants with different shades of red and blue shaped the walls that surrounded the stairs. She walked down them only to find them dissolving beneath the touch of her feet. The green freshness gave away to a dark, black chasm of nothingness. She groped and thrashed but found nothing to hold onto as she fell deeper into an uncomfortable sleep.

The sensation of falling left her long ago, now leaving her with a feeling of hopelessness and worry. What it was that made her feel this way, she knew not. She tried to conjure up images of people she loved, of those that meant something to her. The canvas was blank. Then she remembered that she had lost the ability to love... and the hope of ever finding it. She smiled, in spite of herself. The smile turned into guttural laughter as she turned cynical. Life... was simply far too beautiful. And beauty was cruel.

A small flickering light illuminated the dark chasm pulling her lost soul away and out of it. She was forced out of the darkness and into reality only to feel a searing pain as her head rolled from left to right. She almost screamed in agony had her anger and stubbornly cynical nature not taken over. She smiled. And slowly began to lift her weighed eyelids. Life, she decided, was going to be nicer to her. Whether it wanted to or not.

Several metres away, the corners where his two lips met curved upwards to form a clear smirk. Oh yes, life was going to be very nice.

* * *

**Hello fellow (aha! rhymes!) Skip Beat fans,**

**I'm completely new to fanfiction and this is my first attempt at writing something creative out of my own need to do so. If I've ever written an essay before -which I have- it has always been for the sake of English Literature or Biology. And I hate them both. Not the latter as much as the former though.**

**Anyway, I have no idea how often I'll be updating. I suppose I'll be updating as soon as I finish writing each chapter. Hah, that's pretty simple. Now if only my thoughts and imagination would jump down from the seventh sky, where they're currently vacationing at. I have ideas, ****but it's the describing side of things I find terrifyingly difficult. And without sufficient description, I feel the atmosphere is never set.**

**Now, to those who care enough to review, I prefer straight out criticism. No beating around the bush or sugar-coated words. If you really appreciate what I write and say so, I'll accept your compliments and be thankful. But if you think there are things out of place; things that shouldn't be where they are; OOC (characters)... Then do tell me. I hate OOC-ness as much as the next fanfiction reader. And I am a perfectionist when it comes to representing the characters. At times, I know, even trying your hardest to represent a character accurately won't be enough to satisfy others -since we all see things differently- but I'd still like feedback on OOC, even if it is a trivial matter compared to something else.**

**I decided to leave this as an after note since I didn't want to ruin the looks. Haha~ Yah, fiction needs to look attractive too.**

**A late thought: I might be changing the title of this as I get to grips with what's really going on. At the moment, I'm a little unsure. But all hope is not lost, my friends. Trust me. :-)**

**How wonderful. My silly blathering is almost as long as the actual chapter. I must leave before I continue.**

**G'day.**


	2. Pieces in a board game

**Chapter 1 – Pieces in a board game**

**The Past**

It was autumn and the varying shades of brown on the trees were mesmerising as the sun began descending from its heavenly throne. Mogami Kyoko, out of her bold pink uniform, set foot outside of LME, satisfied with the work that she had accomplished today. When she really thought about it though, she realised that the tasks she did today -carrying a mass of paper work from one section to another; cleaning and mopping the hallways; helping lost teenagers who were here to audition for a place in the latest vampire movie- weren't particularly stepping stones for her to achieve that prized place above Fuwa Sho. Knowing this, she slouched down in a corner in despair as an aura of absolute misery enveloped her lean frame, body and soul.

Out into the autumn afternoon, walked Tsuruga Ren. He noticed the flair of orange fury slumped in a corner and curiosity took the better of him. Yashiro, following a little behind, watched in amusement as Ren's expression turned from a professional one to one of contentment and serenity. He wanted to push Ren that little bit over the edge to see the story unfold in full force, but it was almost impossible to do so. Ren's composed self was a tough barrier to break. Yashiro's teasing nature made him want to place all his bets on Ren walking towards Kyoko. And he would've won good money had he really placed his bets, for it was not long after seeing her that Ren began his walk towards Kyoko. His eyes unmoving; his strides long and relaxed after a day of hard work; and his heart... Well, his heart was something the manager couldn't see. Yashiro sighed. He wished very much that he could.

As Ren walked towards Kyoko, he thought of how he hadn't seen her all day. Him being on a completely different set, and her working in the Love Me section meant that they barely saw each other these days. The number of times he called her went downhill as he could find no new excuses. Kyoko, being the person that she was, seldom called him in fear of bothering him with matters she did not want to concern a sempai about. Without realizing it, his face broke into a smile just like it had done when he had seen her name on set of _Dark Moon _after several days of separation when she filmed as Natsu. The smile was warm, honest and welcoming.

"Mogami-san?"

Kyoko looked up from her depression to meet Ren's eyes. She only saw it fit to rid herself of her despondent aura and grace her face with a dazzling smile. She bowed and greeted him, "Tsuruga-san, good afternoon".

The fading sunlight caught on Kyoko's face as she lifted her head, giving her fair skin a resplendent glow. Her cheeks were tinged with an almost invisible blush of pink which enhanced the beauty of her pinker lips. Her short hair framed her face gracefully and fell to her shoulders in various lengths. Ren quietly gazed at her alluring beauty, unaware of what he was doing until he heard her wavering voice, "Umm, Tsuruga-san...?"

Behind him, Yashiro stifled a chuckle_. It's_ _the Kyoko-charm, isn't it Ren?_

This time, Ren simply looked at her, a little self-conscious.

"Ah, Mogami-san, are you on your way home?" He smiled.

"Yes, I have to be there as soon as possible to help Okami-san with the shop this afternoon."

"Would you like a ride home?"

"No, thank you. I'll be fine on my bike."

"Ah, I see. Well then, have a safe journey home, Mogami-san. Goodbye", Ren said and smiled. He turned away to hide his disappointment.

Behind him, Kyoko bowed and went in the opposite direction towards the bike shed to pick up her bike. Ren glanced back only to find Kyoko walking away... and his disappointment substantially increased.

Yashiro noticed this and broke into a silent laugh. There were times when Ren's inability to control his emotions stroked the older manager like a feather: tickling and making him hysterical with laughter. Ren's shifts in mood and his change in expressions (due to his budding feelings) were ever so slight it wouldn't be noticed by a random passer-by, much less a girl who had given up all hopes of ever loving a man.

Being Ren's manager, Yashiro had learnt several things about Japan's No. 1 actor. The fact that Ren had never really experienced true love between himself and another woman was one amongst many. If things between Ren and Kyoko were to work out, someone needed to play with their pieces on a board game. Because the pieces themselves couldn't move up any squares, as there was no one throwing the dice. Yashiro wondered if him and President Lory could really play this game and finally achieve the goal... At the moment, it seemed impossible. No, it _was_ impossible.

He sighed, for the second time in the span of 10 minutes.

Yashiro walked and watched Ren at the same time, as the latter strode towards his car, opened the door and sat on his seat. Yashiro did the same and glanced to the right to see the expression Ren had now. He was surprised to find a stoic face void of any expression whatsoever.

Ren, sat on his driver's seat, was aware of the glances from Yashiro. He was determined not to leave any opening for Yashiro to pry into; creating a deeper crack he believed he couldn't deal with. He was pleased the when older man turned away, dissatisfaction etched onto his face rather boldly.

Ren opened his window, and began driving. He was highly grateful to the blowing wind as it blew away the molecules of dejection and replaced them with... nothing.

* * *

As Kyoko unlocked the chain that was used to bind her bike, she noticed that the tyres on her bike were punctured. How exactly, she couldn't recall. It had been fine this morning as she pedalled her way to LME. Lost in hopes to recall the incidents that morning, she failed to notice the sudden stillness that fell upon the area surrounding the bike shed. There was an ear wringing silence that screamed for one to run away, but lost in thoughts, Kyoko was oblivious to the change in atmosphere. The busy streets surrounding LME seemed to be void of any human existence as the ever present background noise of people moving around, ceased.

Would she have noticed had what happened next not happened at all? For what happened next, plunged Kyoko into a world of kaleidoscopic colours; of darkness; and most of all... painful realisations.

As she pondered the events of the morning, something solid and hard came into contact with the nape of her neck, rather painfully and without mercy. Thoughts of punctured tyres flew away, as she fought to understand the situation. Before her conscience made a final plunge for darkness, she could only make out the outlines of a rather ugly face: a face that was scarred and shaved once every red moon.

Ah, the dice finally rolled. And a piece moved closer towards the goal.

* * *

**Righto, this chapter is longer than the first (and so is my after note). Partly because a reviewer found the previous chapter too short... And partly because I babbled (quite) a bit. Yah, babbling FTW. It makes your fanfiction longer. God bless Long chaptered fanfiction. And babbles.**

**Okay, sarcasm aside, I'd like to thank every reviewer that reviewed the Prologue.**

**Tohru12** _for being the first ever reviewer on my first ever fanfiction (they always a leave a mark);_ **elfenknight, ren and kyoko in a bucket, The Poisoned Doughnut Of DOOM, Ecki, Serara, Teelsa and queen34** _for your positive and motivating reviews. Never did I think that a comment could propel a fiction writer to write. But it did, and I remain forever grateful to you guys;_ **Nine Days a Queen,** _I am truly honored that my prologue had the ability to make you lose your formal reviewing voice -as you put it- and go all caps :-); _**The Nameless Soul**_, nope, it's not alternative universe. I don't believe I'm experienced enough to delve into that _(¬_¬)_;_ **momoirousagichan**, _your review is much appreciated; I love your straight forward statement. It's rare to find reviewers such as yourself. Thank you. :) But prologues are always confusing, are they not? Or that's how I found it when I read the prologue of the book I'm currently reading. Actually, in all honesty, my fiction's layout is a little similar to that book's. Haha~_

_... And all those who favorited this fiction and put it on alert, I thank you. _

**A few notices, and more blatherings:**

**- The next chapters might not come as quickly as this one did. As much as I'd like to say, "I have a life to live and dreams to fulfill"... I'd be lying if I did. See, I'm an extremely lazy person with a very bored imagination. So the words don't to me as easily as they should. And being a student, I have one of those things called 'summer jobs' where the emplyers carry out the practice of child labor, lawfully, in the name of giving the kids enough experience to last in the adult world. But experience is experience. It's highly valued by the universities, which is pretty much all I care about right now.**

**- That aside, if you have any ideas or events you'd like to see happen, do leave it in a review. I'll try my best to incorporate it into the fanfic, if possible.**

**- I somehow feel that this chapter didn't live up to the quality set by the previous one (there are a few sentences I'm not particularly happy with and am lost on how to rephrase them). Hence I decided to get myself a beta reader. How do I do that?**

**- And I changed the story title. This'll probably be permanent. Hopefully. Hrrm. (¬_¬) **

**On another note, this is not a vampire fiction. But, I suppose, you've guessed that already from this chapter.**

**In case it's not clear, this chapter occurs prior to the prologue. (I've added a date to the prologue now, so to make it clear) Exclude that.**

**G'day.**

**Thanking momoirousagichan again for kindly pointing out my mistakes. :) **


	3. Chess

**Chapter 2 – Chess**

**The Past**

Several long and silent minutes passed as Ren drove towards Yashiro's flat leaving Kyoko behind. He was suddenly gripped with a strong sense of foreboding that threatened to reverse the action of peristalsis, defy gravity and bring his food out onto his lap. The streets were quiet as was the atmosphere in the car. But somehow, the silence felt thick and had a presence of its own that threatened to engulf all that it fell upon.

Yashiro felt uncomfortable sitting next to Ren. The no-talking-in-the-car rule was as effective as always, which wasn't surprising. But the sudden change in the actor's mood worried Yashiro deeply. He could feel Ren's apprehension but couldn't figure out what exactly it was that made him so pensive. Ren constantly glanced at the streets outside as though he was expecting to meet someone. To Yashiro, it seemed as though Ren had gone mad.

Yashiro's flat came into view far too quickly. After dropping him off, Ren drove to his own apartment; parked his car; entered his flat and locked it securely. There was an insecure atmosphere and he wondered why he felt that way. Thinking that a hot shower would rid his body off such petty feelings, he decided to do just that.

* * *

**The Present**

_She smiled. And slowly began to lift her weighed eyelids. Life, she decided, was going to be nicer to her. Whether it wanted to or not._

Kyoko woke up cold and hungry. Her stomach rumbled quietly as the thundering outside became deafening and more volatile with each passing minute. She glanced to her right and could only make out grey and black shapes. Those shapes took the form of a wooden table and a three legged stool as her vision got used to the dark.

Something to the left of her fell, making a loud _thud_ that rose above the thundering outside. A light switched on overhead that blinded Kyoko, even though it was weak. Painfully, she turned her head to see what made the noise and could make out the silhouette of a man in a long coat, and a hat that partially covered his face. From what she saw, she guessed that the man had gotten up from sitting causing the chair that lay on its back, to fall over. The door behind him was ajar. Kyoko could hear the sound of footsteps as it travelled through the open doorway and the voice of a woman call out 'Shinji!'... The man responded with hesitation as he made his way out of the room, shutting the door. The light that set the dark room aglow was switched off by the man before he left, plunging Kyoko in a chasm of darkness again.

The situation she was in was something Kyoko never expected to be in. She had never prepared herself for kidnappings. And now, she found herself kidnapped and bound to a chair that made her legs numb, her wrists bleed and her neck cry out in pain.

Tied to the chair, Kyoko felt tired. How long had it been since her kidnapping? She had promised to help out at Darumaya, but now couldn't. Were the couple angry at her? How would she answer them when they asked about her whereabouts? She had to call them. She had to let them know that she was fine. She would tell them that she was staying over at Moko-san's and would be back in the morning. She needed to get out of here. And soon.

Staying awake was getting harder as time passed. The pain and the constant presence of migraine made her drowsy. The world of sleep beckoned her with promises of painless slumber and soft bedding. It took away all her energy to fight the urge to sleep. It was a fight she lost, for in no time, Kyoko's head slumped back into the chair and her eyes hazily closed.

* * *

Ren tossed and turned in his bed as beads of perspiration rested on his forehead comfortably. He dreamt of a place far away; of darkness and ominous shadows that failed to take any distinct shape; of forests and flowers he knew not the name of... And of Kyoko. Of Kyoko who held stones the shape of omelettes; of Kyoko who held a blue stone to the sun, and later, to her heart; of Kyoko who slowly faded and dissolved into a blank white canvas like wet paint on a smooth stone after a shower of raindrops.

Unable to bear it any longer, he snapped open his eyes and switched on the bed-side lamp. He felt his breathing get heavier and tried to calm his nerves. He got out of bed and poured himself a drink. As he walked back to his bedroom, the cell phone on top of the bed-side table caught his attention. He surely can't call her now? It wouldn't be wise. Besides, if she were asleep, it was unlikely that she'd hear the phone vibrate anyway. If her phone wasn't silent, then he'd be inconveniencing the Darumaya couple.

He sighed.

Dropping all thoughts of calling Kyoko, Ren returned under the covers of his king-sized bed and prayed for swift slumber. He didn't want to think of the contents of his dream. He wanted to think of Kyoko far away from such dark places and from any form of pain. He pictured her smiling face and her glistening amber eyes. A warm smile split the actor's handsome face as his eyes closed and sleep overtook him.

* * *

Kyoko was awoken again. This time, just like before, the overhead light was switched on. The man, Shinji, had a tray which clattered as he pulled over a small table and laid the tray down. He moved his hands to his hips and pulled out a small 9mm semi-automatic.

Shinji pointed the gun to Kyoko's head and said, "if you make any suspicious movements, I'll simply pull the trigger. And I'm not kidding, I promise you. It's as simple as that for me." Kyoko opened her mouth to ask something when Shinji put a finger to her lips and shushed her. His breath stank of smoke and beer, with which he bathed Kyoko in when he said, "eat now. We'll talk later. When Nagi-san joins us". He laughed cruelly for several long seconds, sending shivers of disgust down Kyoko's spine. She lifted the spoon and whatever came with it, and placed it in her mouth.

What she tasted was flavourless and bland. In fact, she couldn't even comprehend what exactly it was that she was shoving into her mouth. The texture was coarse made smooth with the thick, viscous liquid surrounding it. Her hunger was the only thing that kept her thrusting spoonful of the stuff into her gaping mouth. She understood that she needed to fill her stomach with something, be it food or whatever else, so she could have enough energy for escape. She didn't know where she was or what kind of trials she might need to overcome, but she needed to prepare herself for all sorts.

Just as she was about to scoop the last bits into her mouth, the man snatched the bowl away from her. He gave her a glass of water that she drank like one who just sighted an oasis after several days of wandering in a dry desert. The liquid was warm, but not stagnant. It failed to quench her thirst, though. Shinji snatched that away too as though leaving it in her hand any longer would turn it into a weapon she could use to her own advantage. He placed the bowl and the glass on the tray and looked down at her from his full height.

"Nagi-san will come back in a minute. And then we'll see what she does with you", he sneered and left the room, turning off the overhead light he had lit when he came in.

With her gnawing hunger silenced, Kyoko was fully awake. The injury at the nape of her neck had begun the healing process as the pain was now a dull presence. Or perhaps she was just getting used to it to the extent where it didn't bother her anymore. Either way, she felt better and wanted to look around the room she was held in. Bound to the chair, her movements were limited. But it didn't stop her moving her head side ways to see the layout of the room. In the dark, she could only make out shades of black and grey. No object took shape no matter how much she focused her sight, as no light entered the room. It was raining outside, and the beating raindrops on the glass told her that there was a window in the room. The moon hid behind a thick layer of dense cloud, preventing any light from illuminating the insides of the room she was held captive in.

She tried to move her legs that were bound to the chair, but failed. She was hoping to swivel the chair with the aid of her legs, but it was impossible. If Kyoko tried to lean forward so to stand on her feet, she would risk falling over and that would alert whoever was keeping her confined. She saw hopelessness clearly for the first time as the clouds parted and moonlight briefly streamed in through the glassy window before it was blanketed by the dark clouds again.

A heavy sigh left her lips as sobs clotted her trachea making her breathing shaky and irregular. Tears welled up at the edge of her lower eye lid threatening to spill over. She was determined not to let any weakness show, and she wasn't going to falter now. Gritting her teeth, she twisted her wrists making the cuts even deeper. Pain shot through her arms like the persistent thundering as rain poured down in streams. Only when her body went limp due to the unbearable pain, did she stop and just sit there. She was unable to think for her mind was clouded, and her vision blurry with hot tears she couldn't control anymore. Yet again, she felt the nagging sensation that soon lulled her into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Okami-san was preparing dinner when the thought of Kyoko not returning even though it was past 10 in the evening crossed her mind. It was strange, for Kyoko was always on time. Had she any work for which she needed to stay over at the agency, she would've surely called and let her know. Kyoko was due back around 7, and it was 3 hours too late. She fiddled with the idea of Kyoko spending the night with her friend, Moko-san, having girly talks and eating chocolate. But that image soon dissipated as pieces of the jigsaw didn't fit. Why did Kyoko not call? If her phone had run out of battery, surely she could use Moko-san's?

For a fleeting moment, Okami-san entertained the idea of Kyoko and another man, but the image was completely wrong. So wrong she couldn't even begin to imagine it.

She glanced over at her husband who was more interested in chopping the cucumber on his cutting board than anything else... And she sighed. She hoped and prayed for Kyoko's safety. When she woke up the next morning, she would certainly be greeted with Kyoko's charming smile as always. Thinking that, and finding solace in such a thought, okami-san returned to what she was doing, glancing at the clock one last time. 10:03 PM.

* * *

She awoke again; this time in response to a slap on her face. She was far too groggy to scream or respond in anyway whatsoever. The room was once again alight. The light overhead cast long shadows that fell on the uneven floor, fragmenting.

Kyoko looked up into the face of a woman whose features seemed somewhat familiar, more developed now since she could remember seeing something similar for a fleeting moment in history. Who was this woman? And why was she holding Kyoko captive?

"Why..." Silent whispers that fell on deaf ears.

"What?"

"Why... Why did you bring me here?"

"Why? _Why?!_ Don't you recognise me, Kyoko? Don't you?" Nagi then grabbed onto a clump of Kyoko's hair, pulling it so Kyoko was face to face with only a small rift between them that prevented their faces from touching. Kyoko's face crumpled in faded recognition. The eyes, the nose, the lips... they were all similar, and yet hard to find in the pages of her history; and even harder to put a name to.

Kyoko's heart palpitated as she travelled several years back and a face surfaced. A face similar to the one in front of her... but with more diffused features. The face looked at her, smiling, and said, "Kyoko-chan, look! Look! Sho-chan just fell!" The smile of the child turned into a delightful laugh, and her eyes gleamed with childish love as she stared at the small boy, of similar age, skid on the school playground.

At that age, Kyoko might have been oblivious to the meanings behind those expressions, but 10 years later, she was all too familiar with them. They sickened her now as she remembered her own silly actions.

Kyoko looked into Nagi's face again. This time, with more understanding and recognition than the last.

"Shoutaro"

"Him. Exactly him. He is why you're here Kyoko. Had you not stolen him from me and eloped together, none of this would've happened"

"You're a fool Nagi. You're a fool for liking him"

"A fool?! My love for Sho-chan makes me a fool? You disgust me!" She raised her hand again to slap Kyoko, but the cold stare froze her and she found herself unable to move.

With her hair hiding part of her face, Kyoko looked up at Nagi. Her anger and frustrations on the brink of overflowing.

"What do you know? He'll step on you and walk away as soon as he sees it fit. He won't think twice about a woman like you. And you sit here and dream of the day you can be together? _You_ disgust me."

"D-Don't talk to me like you know how it feels! To be left alone and forgotten by the very person you're willing to sacrifice your life for...!" Nagi said, looking perplexed.

"Oh spare me your sentiments! I know exactly how that-" A phone, somewhere, began to ring. The ringing was familiar, yet not hearing it for a long while made the melody somewhat distant.

"Just shut up, will you? I don't want to hear anything from you anymore"

Nagi turned 180 degrees, reached down to her pockets and took out the cell phone that was ringing. Even in the dark, Kyoko could clearly make out the small jewel she always hung around her phone. It was _her_ phone that was ringing, and it was _her_ phone that Nagi intended to pick up. But, she wondered, who would call her so late at night?

* * *

**It's 3:23am as I type this. This chapter took me far too long to write than I'd hoped. But, alas, it's finally up. I feel as though my use of language is turning poorly, and I don't know how to redeem myself.**

**I made minor changes to the previous chapters. Especially the dates. I decided not to make them so specific afterall. (Thanks to you momoirousagi-chan for highlighting that to me)**

**I want to keep my author's note as short as possible since making it long makes the chapter look ugly. So, in short, I thank all those that reviewed the previous chapter. I will reply to you via PM soon. Perhaps when the dawn breaks today, and my brain cells begin functioning again. Or you'll be bombarded with incoherent sentences that'll puzzle you.**

**Queries:**

**- I am still interested in getting myself a beta-reader. Anyone?**

**- I want to know feedback on how I presented Kyoko... I find it hard to imagine what she'd do in such a situation. She's a tricky character, now that I'm trying to present her in my own fiction.**

**Note:**

**- From the next chapter, whatever happens is all in 'The Present' unless mentioned otherwise.**


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